The Las Vegas Raiders could have the best tight end duo in the NFL when all is said and done, and they are considered a thing to watch this weekend.
For the Las Vegas Raiders to reach their potential as an offense this season, they are going to need to continue to get elite play from tight end Darren Waller. Widely considered a top-3 tight end in the league, Waller set the Raiders single-season receptions record last season, and he is firmly in the middle of his prime right now.
This season, the man behind Waller on the depth chart, and lining up opposite him in two tight end sets will be Foster Moreau, a tremendous young player at the position in his own right. As a duo, they are going to be downright scary in 2021.
Recently, Chase Goodbread from NFL.com put together one thing to watch for each of the preseason Week 2 matchups, and ‘raising the preseason curtain’ on Moreau and Waller was named. Both Moreau and Waller are practicing this week in joint scrimmages against the Los Angeles Rams, and it would be worth it to let them play at least some of the first quarter.
For Goodbread, even a series or two would do:
"Let’s raise the preseason curtain on the tight end duo of Darren Waller and Foster Moreau, even if it’s just for a series or two."
Goodbread is right and looking at the duo, this could be the year they round into the best tight end duo in football. Last year, Gruden mistakenly decided to roll with Jason Witten over Moreau, stunting his growth for a season, but he looks healthy and ready to take his game to the next level this fall.
Raiders have improved on the offensive side of the ball
All told, despite the fact they revamped the offensive line, the Raiders should be even better on the offensive side of the ball in 2021. They will likely see an uptick in production from second-year wideouts Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards, while the addition of Kenyan Drake at running back will take the pressure off of Josh Jacobs.
Add in the fact that Moreau is healthy, and veterans like John Brown and Willie Snead should help on the outside, and the Raiders have a lot of exciting pieces in place.
4 Las Vegas Raiders tumbling down depth charts during the preseason
We are one game into the 2021 preseason, and these four Las Vegas Raiders appear to be tumbling down the depth charts heading into Week 2.
There is certainly a lot to like about this Raiders offense, and that includes Derek Carr, who has improved in each of his three years under Gruden. Las Vegas has a tremendous amount of weapons for Carr to beat defenses with in 2021, and if everyone can stay healthy, they should be a top-10 offense when all is said and done.